Sony Products That Run Embedded Linux

tbirdsaw writes "I was browsing for information on how to run Linux on the PS2 without a Linux Kit (they've stopped selling them in the U.S., AFAIK). While searching, I stumbled across Sony's Open Source Code website. They have quite a few products that run an embedded linux system, including some professional video switchers (MVS8000?) and at least several of their relatively new XDCAM disc-based video format decks. Might make for some hardware/firmware hacking in the near future?"

Comments

Price?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure. Buy me a $15,000 XDCAM device and I'll hack it...

If you're willing to spend that amount of money on a device then you're going to want to make sure it works exactly like it says on the box. The number of people willing to start fiddling with the internals and hack it is going to be extremely limited.

Re:Price?

[Bert64]

But in a few years when they're obsolete and the companies who bought them don't want them anymore they will be available cheap on ebay.. Just like the $40k sun workstations you can pick up for $10 nowadays.

Sure...

[Anonymous Coward]

But that would involve me buying a Sony product. Not something I'm likely to do again any time soon.

Tivo

[HotNeedleOfInquiry]

I have 2 hacked series 1 Sony Tivo's. TCP/IP over ethernet, Bash prompt with telnet, ftp, web-based remote control and downloading media files.

They are my favorite Linux machines.

....These are a few of my favorite things

[davidwr]

Tivos with kernels
And packets on ether
Bash prompt and telnet
As it's downloading movies
Cool Linux-hacked boxes
Bought to record
These are a few of my favorite things

Next verse anyone?

Re:....These are a few of my favorite things

[Mattcelt]

Linux embedded
gets my juices flowing
knowing I'm hacking
while movies are showing
typing one-handed
makes me want to sing
Knowing I'm doing my favorite things!

Librie EBR-1000EP ebook reader

[t482]

Librie EBR-1000EP made by Sony in Japan, using an E Ink display, is an e-book reader. No one has yet hacked into it. Although one user has opened the case and is trying to connect to the internal serial port. He can't figure out the pin mappings as of yet.

Due to some XML hacks you can now read any text on the device, such as project gutenburg books.

more info, the yahoo group and my weblog entry on this.

Unusual devices with Linux embedded

[paulatz]

I think the funnier story I have ever read on this topic whos about a guy installing linux on his picture camera (I think it was Canon). I can no more find the link, do anybody remeber?